Ravenclaw Manifesto
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of Ravenclaw House, has written a manifesto detailing everything that her house stands for. It's read by every Ravenclaw student and teacher of the next generation. First in a series of House manifestos.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Harry Potter_ ; it's the property of J.K. Rowling.

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 **Ravenclaw Manifesto**

 ** _by Rowena Ravenclaw_**

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 _Ravenclaws of Hogwarts, unite!_

 _Let us all embrace the greatest talent a human being, and a human being alone, can possess: the intelligent mind! Let us use our minds to think of great things, teach them to the students and teachers at Hogwarts, and work to make them come true. For what can one hope to do with their life without a firm education in the ways of both the Wizarding World and the Muggle world? What can one hope to achieve without a ready and analytical mind?_

 _Let us resist the sloth that leads to disdaining education and becoming lackluster and stupid in the brain. Let us also resist the recklessness inherent in Gryffindor, the softness of Hufflepuff, and the shrewd subtleties of the Slytherins. Brave, Gryffindor nonetheless acts before it thinks. Kind and loyal, Hufflepuff nonetheless caters to those who cannot take care of themselves, physically or mentally, from time to time. And while ambitious, Slytherin nonetheless is sneaky and cunning, and takes advantage of every situation, whether good or bad. These traits hinder the quick, careful thinking of a good Ravenclaw._

 _Ravenclaws of Hogwarts, unite!_

 _Let us all, in the adult-minded bodies we possess, show and express a unique creativity in every idea, every tool, every magic art, and everything else we may invent or innovate! Let us remember always, that each one of us depends on originality with our creations in order to accomplish new things that have not been seen or heard before. It is not expected for every Ravenclaw to be perfect, nor is it expected for any Ravenclaw to have their name written in the Hogwarts history books as miracle workers. Even the smallest acts of good creativity and originality are something to be proud of, and something to take to the next generation for their benefit!_

 _And let not the practitioners of the Dark Arts interfere with your right to practice your magic art in Hogwarts. They will attempt to foil you in your every endeavor, or they will try to steal your own works and claim them for themselves. I humbly advise that at least some Ravenclaw students and teachers be learned in the Defense Against the Dark Arts, so as not to let those foolish enough to turn evil get the better of you, or worse, destroy you. The greatest tragedy of all is to lose your own life, or that of a loved one, to a dark curse. Although we love and value intelligence very highly, as well as the things we make, what is a project when compared to the life of someone you care about? Should we sacrifice a life just to protect a treasured accomplishment or possession?_

 _Of course not! Love is one of the greatest virtues of all, too, even though it can be a double-edged sword at times. Defend your friends and loved ones and those things they value above yourselves and your own things, always. But never forget, the sharpness of a Ravenclaw's wit will give you what you need to support Hogwarts, innovate magic on and on to the next generation, and protect the ignorant, but nonetheless innocent, Muggle world._

 _Ravenclaws of Hogwarts, unite!_

 _Let us all have minds as sharp as razors, for a witty mind can, and will, cut through even the toughest wall of ignorance and stupidity and reveal many truths about the multiverse. Anybody who is even remotely a genius can prove great facts about what exists and what doesn't, the difference between absolute truths and relative truths, the past, present and future of history, and perhaps even where we came from, where magic came from, and the meaning of life itself. For we Ravenclaws are the pragmatic members of Hogwarts; rather than fight first and ask questions later, we look for peaceful compromises, and we question everything that exists while never being fully certain of anything. We are the scientists, the philosophers, and the mathematicians of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and nothing will stop us from making our studies and theories known to the world._

 _Once more, let us all know that Ravenclaws are not passionless machines or boring, droning caricatures. In fact, Ravenclaw is perhaps the most passionate of all the Hogwarts houses, more so than even courageous Gryffindor! We have passion in everything we do. We create, invent, and innovate with passion. We question and conclude with passion. We teach and encourage students with passion. We fall in love and make love with passion (yes, even romance and sex are things a Ravenclaw must be passionate and creative with!)._ We make ourselves mature with passion. _Let us know always that Ravenclaws are as hot-blooded as a Gryffindor, as compassionate as a Hufflepuff, and as shrewd as a Slytherin. May it always be known!_

 _So we, while not necessarily superior to the other Hogwarts houses, are still one that stands out as a unique extended family with its own personality and lifestyle. Ours is a house for individuals, not just collectives, and while all the talk goes to Hufflepuff being the most tolerant house and the most accepting of misfits, we, too, are highly tolerant. Anyone with a ready mind is welcome, no matter how eccentric or weird they may seem to be on the surface. We encourage individuality, as a matter of fact. We are the oddballs, the chance-takers,_ _the freethinkers, the ones who dabble in even more arcane knowledge-and who possess more love than anybody could ever dream of. We walk to a different beat than that of our more "faithful" neighbor houses, and if the Muggles could be more accepting of wizards and witches and their magic, I think many of them would rather like us. Without differences between members, our creativity will just repeat the same old inventions and innovations over and over again, and Ravenclaw depends on original things and people to keep it from becoming tedious. And of course, wit and originality start at a very young age, and we must nurture them, bringing up all smart children to be the best they can be at teaching the world._

 _Ravenclaws of Hogwarts, may we all unite in the mightiest motto ever conceived in our time:_ "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!"


End file.
